Bright Spark
by lucefatale
Summary: Max always thought that the moment he could escape his rotten family, he'd be gone. He moved out, graduated university, and even changed his surname just to be rid of the stench that followed the Wormwood name. But everything changed when he learned that he had a new baby sister, Matilda. Or, in which a caring brother finally finds the love he deserves.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Please follow, review, and favourite! Hope you enjoy x**

Chapter One: The Prologue

 _Max's parents were barely seventeen when he was conceived in the backseat of a rusty old chevy outside a high school prom, and they married barely a couple months before his birth. It was due to this that Harry and Zinnia Wormwood struggled to maintain a relationship with their eldest son, as each felt they had lost a potentially shining future due to the unexpected pregnancy - and by default - Max._

 _Which is why he was so surprised that his parents decided to have another child, when he was 17 years of age, considering their shared dislike for children, especially their own offspring. His father had lost interest in Max the moment he confronted his father about Wormwood Motors less than legal business dealings. A son with a moral compass who didn't hesitate to call out his father, was not a son worth having, at least according to Harry. Zinnia on the other hand was so distracted by trying to please her criminal husband, whilst spending her free time frittering away their money on bingo and avoiding her responsibilities, that any chance of a bond with her eldest son had been squandered years ago._

 _Having worked part time at a local mechanic's garage ever since he had turned fourteen, a shop that was both honest and fair to their customers and a complete opposite of his father's business, Max has managed to save a healthy sum of his own. Something that came in handy once he broke from his family, and left for university. His not so loving parents were all too glad to see the back of him._

 _He had been a little reluctant to leave his parents and family home, knowing how poorly a job they had done at raising him, but even at his younger brothers very young age it had quickly become clear just how alike his parents Michael was, a bully, even at his local playgroup. Even if he was a cruel bully, at the very least he wouldn't be neglected by Harry and Zinnia. They clearly had a fondness for the younger boy._

 _A life away from his toxic family treated him well and he continued to work as a mechanic to support his English studies at university, taking on the odd DIY and handyman jobs as they came up. One of the first things on his To Do list had been to petition the local civil court in order to officially change his surname. Receiving his new social security card and drivers license had felt like a weight of his shoulders. Max Smith. Simple, straightforward, and oh so different from the rotten name of Wormwood._

 _But it was soon after the publication of his first book, a couple of years post graduating, that his life took another sudden turn. Max had been on the phone, catching up with an old school friend of his, Jerome, when the other man suddenly blurted out some news that caused Max's stomach to churn._

 _"_ _Hey, man, I don't know if you knew, but ah, well, I know you've kinda been avoiding the whole place an' all, and it had been like, what... nearly five years or something? But um, well," Jerome danced around his words awkwardly. "Look... Have you spoken to your 'rents lately?"_

 _"_ _No, I can tell you now that I don't have any plans to," Max narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Why? Has something happened, J?"_

 _"_ _Aw man, look, ah, it seems like your Ma is pregnant again." Jerome sounded sympathetic, whether for Max or the unborn child, it wasn't clear. "Her and your Dad, along with that irritating little turd have been terrorizing the neighbourhood kids again, and your Ma, well, if she ain't pregnant, she must've eaten a beach ball or some shit."_

 _And at that moment, Max felt his heart drop. Fucking fuck fuckity fuck._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Don't forget to follow, favourite, and review! Enjoy x**

Chapter Two

"What the hell are you doing at my door, boy?"

The words that set the tone for Max's return to his family home weren't unexpected. His father eyed him suspiciously.

Max's jaw clenched as he stared the smaller, portly man down.

"I'm here to make sure you don't ruin another childhood." He practically snarled in warning. "Don't worry, I've got an apartment of my own, you don't have to worry about that. Now, I suggest you let me in so we can start talking."

He paused as he heard the cry of an infant echoing from within the house, and the sound of his mother yelling in exasperation. He assumed Michael was busy at school.

Harry looked like he was about to refuse, puffing up his chest as he glared at his eldest. Max quickly shut that down and stepped closer to the man, towering over his short, rotund frame.

 _"Now, old man."_

* * *

It was surprisingly easy for Max to convince his estranged parents to let him care for Matilda during the day.

As long as Max stayed out of Harry's way and signed for any packages that came to the door, he didn't give a crap. His mother was of a similar thought; Max staying with Matilda during the day meant more time for her to go out and play bingo. She had next to no interest in her newborn daughter.

The first few weeks were difficult, filled with soiled diapers, messy feeding, and endless mocking from his father. But as the days passed, Max settled into a routine. He would arrive at the Wormwood household early, just as his parents and Michael left for their day. He always made sure to bring his laptop and work with him, as he could spend Matilda's nap times working on writing his new book. And when she were awake, he would read to her from his favourite books; stories of legend, history, and fiction. At the end of the day he would often have an awkward or tense exchange with one or both of his parents as he left, before heading to his part time job where he worked evenings at his old mechanic position at the local garage, needing to earn enough money to keep up the payments on his apartment and to afford gas for his car.

It was lonely, each day spent alone with just a small baby for company, but then he would look at her smiling face babbling to him in that way that babies do, and he would feel his heart swell. He was doing this for her, so that she wouldn't have to be alone.

But it was when Matilda was around seven months old that he first witnessed her do something extraordinary. She had always been a remarkably well behaved baby, rarely screaming and crying, never issues with her food or sleeping pattern. She would gaze up at him from his lap, silent, enraptured by his words, her big blue eyes wide in wonder.

He had walked in on his mother scolding Matilda for making a mess of her puréed spinach on the counter, and Zinnia flounced off whining about raising tomatoes instead of babies.

Max glanced at Matilda who had been plonked in the kitchen sink with the tap running. She slapped her chubby fists against her food covered onesie, looking mighty confused as to why she was sat in a cold metal sink. Her blue eyes blinked at him and she waved her hand in Max's direction before babbling away to herself as she stared at the counter where her once breakfast in a jar now lay splattered.

Max sighed with a soft smile at her, moving to clean up the mess before he bathed Matilda (in the actual bath, _not_ his mothers kitchen sink), only to freeze in shock.

Spelled out in the disgusting purée was a roughly written 'MATILDA', the letters clearly drawn using a rather tiny, chubby pointer finger. Max stared at the letters in shock, his mouth hanging wide open. His eyes flickered between his baby sister and the purée.

"Did you do this?" He asked Matilda, pointing at the word with a dumbfounded expression painted on his face. His only reply was a burbling giggle and two messy purée covered hands once again slapping at a chubby little stomach. "Guess I'll take that as a yes, then." He blinked in shock as the realisation sunk in.

"Holy-" Max quickly cut himself off. He cleaned up with mess with a damp rag, before retrieving Matilda from the sink.

"Bath time, yea girl?" He held her close to his chest, ignoring the gross puréed spinach that was smeared on his shirt by Matilda's mucky hands, grateful that he had a spare t-shirt from the garage for later.

Matilda splashed about in the warm water, giggling and burbling to Max as he leant over the edge of the tub with his sleeves rolled up, attempting to get her clean. She observed him using the wash cloth to clean the food from her skin, and when Max sat back down next to the bath, keeping a careful eye on her, she grabbed the cloth and copied the action. She swiped the cloth over her face, arms and legs, gurgling to Max as she did do. After Matilda finished she held the cloth out in a chubby fist, as if to say 'now what?'

Max stared in part bemusement and disbelief. He held his hand out to her, letting her grab onto his fingers.

"Incredible, that's what you are," He told her gently, smiling when she babbled nonsense back to him. "My brilliant little girl." Max leaned forward and pressed a kiss atop her head.


End file.
